Sen. Stiles faces GOP opponent, attack ads

Thursday

Jun 5, 2014 at 12:21 PMJun 6, 2014 at 10:58 AM

HAMPTON — Sen. Nancy Stiles, R-Hampton, officially filed for re-election for a third term on Wednesday — the first day available for candidates to sign up — and is facing opposition from both inside and outside the Republican Party.

Corinne Holroyd

HAMPTON — Sen. Nancy Stiles, R-Hampton, officially filed for re-election for a third term on Wednesday — the first day available for candidates to sign up — and is facing opposition from both inside and outside the Republican Party.

“I'm in it to win it and I intend to do that,” Stiles said.

Stiles is facing opposition for the Republican primary from North Hampton entrepreneur Steve Kenda, but she said she does not know much about him.

“I grew up in the Seacoast,” she said. “I don't know how long he's been in town. I don't really know him.”Stiles said despite a primary fight, she will not change her campaign strategy.

"It's been successful in the past and I don't see any reason to change," she said.

Stiles is also facing opposition from conservative groups such as Citizens for a Strong New Hampshire, which recently ran a series of television and radio advertisements against Stiles, as well as Sen. Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, and Sen. David Boutin, R-Hooksett, calling each a "wolf in sheep's clothing."

The television advertisements — presented in each senator's district — portray a field of sheep with a single wolf in a sheep suit wearing a name tag of that district's senator.

The Hampton district ad asks viewers to "tell Sen. Stiles to stop pretending to be a fiscal conservative and start voting like one."

Stiles said she has been called about the ads and spoken with some people, but she has not spoken with members of Citizens for a Strong New Hampshire since the ads have aired.

"I fully support freedom of speech, I just wish that when people speak that the facts are correct, because I just think it misinforms people," Stiles said.

If Stiles wins the primary, her opponent could be Chris Muns, a Hampton Democrat and state representative who is running in the Democratic primary. He is currently chairman of the Winnacunnet School Board.

Stiles said she is focused on the primary first and she will "cross one bridge at a time." She added while she does recognize that they are from the same community, they have different views.

"We think differently from each other, but we'll see what the people think," she said. "That's the good thing about democracy I guess."

Stiles said that she is running for re-election because she wants to continue her work serving District 24.

"I'll continue to look at the economy and continue to improve it and work with education to ready the work force," she said.

Stiles served three terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

She will hold her formal campaign kick-off from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, in Hampton at The Old Salt in the Goody Cole Room.

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